


The Best Year of My Life

by romanticizedtaboos



Series: Hargreeves Being Good Siblings [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brotherly Love, Family Bonding, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus loves Dave, Klave, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Oneshot, Soft Klaus Hargreeves, Soft Number Five | The Boy, background Ben, five is trying his best even if its a threat, good brother Five hargreeves, i cried writing this cause soft five makes me weep, im so tired, no beta we die like ben, written at 3AM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24451657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticizedtaboos/pseuds/romanticizedtaboos
Summary: Five demands Klaus tell him what’s been bothering him and he talks about Dave.
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Hargreeves Being Good Siblings [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766062
Comments: 6
Kudos: 205





	The Best Year of My Life

**Author's Note:**

> this was a really short fic, i just had the idea and i needed to get it out. its 3am so idk if its very good but i welcome any and all feedback/constructive criticism!! check out my tumblr @robbiecasmin for umbrella academy content and updates on current and future fics! you can also prompt me :))

“What are you thinking about?” Klaus turned around swiftly to see that Five had entered his room. The door was definitely still locked and closed so the bastard must’ve jumped.

“Why can’t you knock before you blatantly disregard my privacy, little man? I could’ve been naked!”

“Oh shut up, you’re naked at least 30% of the time, I’ve seen your junk more times than my own!”

”Still, the door was locked for a reason, asshole.”

“You’re ignoring my question.”

”You’re ignoring mine.”

“Okay, well you haven’t left this room in 6 hours and I wanted to make sure you weren’t dead or missing.”

“Aw Fivey, do you care?” Klaus mocked.

“Yes dumbass! I fucking care! Why the fuck do you think I spent 5 years as an assassin just for the fucking chance to maybe see you all again!”

Oh. Klaus wasn’t expecting that response. Caring was somewhat of a foreign concept to Klaus. No one really cared about him. At least not anyone alive (or so he thought, though maybe Five did care) and he had only ever truly cared about one other person in his life. This wasn’t to say he didn’t love his siblings, but he knew he had limits. They never treated him like he mattered so why should he really care about them. Especially when they so clearly were fed up with all of his bullshit. He understood though, he didn’t care about himself either. Dave had cared. Maybe if things were different Klaus would’ve learned to care. Maybe.

Klaus didn’t realize but as his thoughts of Dave rolled around in his head he grew more and more disconnected from everything around him. His eyes were glazed and a few tears rolled down his pale cheeks whilst he pictured Dave’s beautiful face, looking back at Klaus with the purest expression of puppy love you could imagine. It was a memory of the first time they said I love you. They were in a motel in Saigon during one of the days they were in the city. Klaus had woken up in a panic from the nightmare that always replayed in his head when he finally allowed himself to drift asleep. Dave, always woken by the smallest of sounds, had shot up in bed, quickly realizing what the sound was.

He just held Klaus as he sobbed, knowing there was nothing else he could really do but be there for his love. When Klaus had eventually calmed down he pressed a kiss into his thick, black hair, and whispered “I love you Klaus. I love you forever and ever and ever…” he kept repeating the words until Klaus looked back at him. “I love you more than life itself, Dave. Please don’t ever go.” Klaus had looked up at Dave, tears not yet daring to fall until Dave nodded his head and whispered ”Never, Spook.” Klaus’ heart fluttered at the nickname and that day went down as the best day of his life. Dave gave him his dogtags that day, and Klaus promised him he’d be able to give them back the day they went home. That never happened.

Klaus was pulled out of his thoughts by Five’s shouting.

”Klaus! Can you hear me?” Klaus flinched at the sound before realizing at some point he’d went from his bed to the floor and Five was now crouched in front if him while he was sobbing softly. How the fuck was he supposed to get out of this one?

He scrambled back onto his bed and quickly wiped his eyes, internally screaming in embarrassment of his vulnerability. Diego had already seen him cry, he didn’t want to add Five to the list. Too late now, he guesses.

”Klaus, I know I’m not exactly the most compassionate or easy to talk to, ” Klaus snorted, that was the fucking understatement of the year, ”But I care about you and a minute ago you were sobbing on the ground with absolutely no idea what was happening around you. So either you’re going to tell me what the fuck is up or I’m going to find out on my own.” That was surprisingly less of a threat than Klaus expected from his murderous little-big brother. Of course he didn’t want to tell Five what was wrong, if he had it his way no one would ever find out what was on his mind (aside from Ben but he would know even if Klaus hadn’t wanted him too), but otherwise Five would somehow manage to figure it out and would confront Klaus nonetheless. Fuck. This wasn’t fucking fair.

”Fucking hell, Five, you’re not giving me much of an option here.”

”That’s the point, nimrod. I already know something’s wrong so you might as well tell me. I promise I won’t say a word to anyone else but I really don’t want you to go off and kill yourself cause you won’t tell anyone what’s wrong and spend almost all of your time locked in your childhood bedroom. I have enough unhealthy coping mechanisms to be able to spot all of yours from a mile away.”

”Okay. Okay whatever I’ll answer whatever stupid questions you have, old man, but I’ll only do it if I get to ask you a question in return. One answer for another. I ain’t doing this whole therapy schtick without dragging you down too ‘Mr The Only Beverages I Consume Are Coffee And Vodka And I Haven’t Slept In A Fortnight.’”

”Alright but I’m asking first.”

“Go ahead, anh trai tôi. You’ve already seen me cry, it doesn’t get much worse.”

“Okay. You told me you spent 10 months in the past. I assumed you must have served given the tattoo and tags, but…where?”

”Vietnam. 1968. I served for 10 months and 28 days. It was the best year of my life.”

Klaus closed his eyes and remembered. The jokes shared among his real brothers, the nights spent in steamy bars in Saigon, the horrible meals eaten at the mess that were the best he ever had despite the taste. He could still smell the scent of Dave on his clothes if he tried hard enough. 

Five looked at his brother with confusion. He wasn’t exactly sure how fighting for a war you didn’t belong in could be the best time of your life. How killing and fighting and getting injured quite a bit judging by Klaus’ scars could be a good time. Klaus was always such a pacifist. Yet the smile on his face as he reminisced on that year was really throwing Five off.

Klaus opened his eyes back up and looked at Five.

”Now you have to answer one of my questions.” He grinned as Five’s brows furrowed.

”Alright, whatever.”

”Did you bury us?” Five’s stomach dropped. He didn’t think Klaus was gonna go that fucking deep on the first question.

”What?”

”You said you found us. In the apocalypse. Did you bury our bodies?”

Five’s breath hitched at the memory. ”Yes. I did.”

”Where?”

”Not so fast, you said an answer for an answer. I have more questions for you.” Of Klaus was gonna bring out the real shit this early in the game, he might as well catch up. ”Why did you stay in Vietnam for 10 months if you had the briefcase the whole time?”

Klaus looked off to the side and muttered something before another tear fell from his eyes. He looked at Five and spoke softly, lower than a whisper,” Dave.” His voice broke and he looked distant as he answered. Of course, Five didn't know who Dave was, but the way Klaus had said it let Five know who he was to his brother. And that was more important than anything else that could be said about the man who left Klaus with a bleeding heart.

”Who was Dave?” At this point Klaus seemed to distant to care that Five was asking two questions in a row so Five decided now was the time to get answers for why his loudest and most carefree brother had become so withdrawn and quiet. He missed Klaus.

”The love of my life. The only person I have ever loved more than drugs. The only person I would even think about getting sober for. The only person I’ve ever cared about.”

”You’re sober?”

”Oh yeah Fivester, I’ve been sober since Vanya decided she was real tired of Luther talking about the moon so she blew it up. Honestly fucking good for her, the bastard never would’ve shut up about it otherwise.”

”So if you stayed for him, what happened to make you leave?” Five internally winced at how blunt he was being for such a clearly sore topic, but Klaus didn't seem to notice. Either way it was better than tiptoeing around it because his brother always picked up on that shit even when it was unintentional.

Klaus shrugged. ”War. Wrong place, wrong time, right bullet.” Five watched as his brother played with the tags around his neck. He had silent tears streaming down his face but he didn’t bother to wipe them away. As he watched his heartbroken brother, he didn’t feel an ounce of the rage he expected. Just sadness for Klaus. He knew what it felt like to lose the people you love. The pain that comes with it that never really goes away. Even if you get them back like Five did. He still wakes up every morning expecting to be back in that world without his family, his home, everything he lives for. And it hurts so bad. So Five did the only thing that he could to try and lessen the pain, for both of them. He hugs Klaus. And Klaus hugs him back.

**Author's Note:**

> yall soft five makes me cry hes baby


End file.
